Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], November 23 : Uttar Pradesh Minister AK Sharma hit back at Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav over his statement against "Viksit Bharat" envisaged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make India a developed India by 2047 and said that a people's leader foresees the development of his nation 25- 50 years.
"It doesn't behove any responsible person to make such statements about the Prime Minister of his country... As for Akhilesh Yadav's statement, his thinking, and his perspective, I pray to God to give him some wisdom. After every election, the Samajwadi Party looks for a conspiracy to win the upcoming election... A people's leader thinks about taking his country 25 to 50 years ahead... These people see their family's benefit in everything and evaluate things with that calculus...," Sharma told ANI.
At a press conference on November 22, Yadav questioned the BJP's focus on 2047, saying, "The BJP is talking about 2047. They don't even read their own manifesto...Why 2047? Should they add another 100 years?" Will you survive till 2047?" in an apparent dig at PM Modi's vision of a developed India.
"Viksit Bharat" is a vision for a developed India by 2047
The statement has drawn sharp reactions from the BJP. UP Minister Danish Azad Ansari accused SP of engaging in politics.
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak on Sunday criticised SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav
Pathak told ANI, "Akhilesh Yadav and the Samajwadi Party are completely misguided. Every Indian is ready to fulfil the pledge of a developed India under the leadership of PM Modi, and this time, the Samajwadi Party is going to be marginalised."
This comes after SP Chief criticised PM Narendra Modi's 'Viksit Bharat 2047' initiative, questioning its long-term vision and predicting BJP losses in Bengal and UP.
UP Minister Danish Azad Ansari accused SP of engaging in politics.
"The Samajwadi Party has consistently engaged in politics with a negative agenda. Our Prime Minister is speaking about a developed India, focusing on advancing the country towards prosperity, happiness, employment, and progress".
Minister Ansari claimed that PM Modi is working for the welfare of every section of society. "The leaders of the Samajwadi Party are so upset by this that they did not hesitate to make personal remarks against the Prime Minister. The country has a strong and capable Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, who is working sincerely and diligently to elevate the nation's development. These very things, the talk of the country's development and progress, are not being digested by the people of the Samajwadi Party."
Earlier, Yadav alleged that the BJP and EC are conspiring to delete over 50,000 votes in Assembly segments where the SP and INDIA bloc won in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.